


Two is for Rivalry and Fighting

by Raven913



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Arguing, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Post-Series, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish Fluff, adam goes to college, mentions of blusey, pynch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 05:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11844990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven913/pseuds/Raven913
Summary: Adam and Ronan don't stop fighting just because they're together now. Sometimes it's over little things, fighting just to fight. Sometimes it's more serious than that. But now they have to learn to compromise.





	1. Flinch

_“Two is a terrible number. Two is for rivalry and fighting and murder.”  
__“Or marriage,” Adam said, thinking._  
“Same thing,” Persephone replied. -BLLB

_There was no point telling himself not to fight with Ronan. They would fight again, because Ronan was still breathing. -BLLB_

Adam flinched.

Ronan had come over to St. Agnes tired, restless, and looking for a fight. Adam got back from work a few minutes later, tired, stresses, and happy to oblige.

They’d been fighting about something. Or everything, or nothing. Adam couldn’t tell anymore but it didn’t really matter. This wasn’t the kind of fight that happens because there was a reason to be angry; this was the kind that happens because they are Ronan and Adam and fighting was what they did when they didn’t know what else to do.

Tempers reached boiling point, harsh words were exchanged at increasing volumes. They stood close, getting in each other’s face. Adam was scowling; Cabeswater curled within him, noticing his distress. Ronan’s fists were clenched at his side, shoulders and jaw tensed with fury, eyes gleaming. He looked dangerous. He looked like he wanted to punch something.

Adam flinched.

Ronan paled and staggered back, unclenching his fists and holding his hands down, palms out, in an unthreatening gesture.

Distantly, Adam marveled at how well Ronan knew him. Rona had seen that involuntary movement, known what it meant, known what had caused it, known how to react to it. Adam had barely been aware that he’d flinched.

“Shit, Adam, I’m sorry. I didn’t- you know I wouldn’t _ever_ \- I wouldn’t-”

“Ronan,” Adam said evenly, “shut up.”

Ronan did, but he was still as far away as he could get from Adam without ducking under the sloped ceiling. He glanced behind Adam to the door.

“I’ll just go. I’ll leave you alone,” Ronan said, but didn’t move closer to the door. Probably because that would mean he’d have to move closer to Adam.

This made Adam angry all over again. He wasn’t some skittish doe, or a porcelain doll, or an IED. Blue and Gansey were already walking on eggshells around him, he couldn’t bear it if Ronan did, too.

“No. You don’t get to run off. I’m sick of everyone treating me like I’m fragile. I won’t break just because we had a fight.”

Ronan’s expression closed off, hiding his uncertainty. Adam approached him, closing the distance between them until they were close enough to touch.

“What, no snide comments? Go on. No stinging criticism? Give me your worst. I’ll give it right back!”

“Adam…”

“Go on!” Adam shoved Ronan’s chest. Not enough to make him stumble, just enough to provoke him. Ronan glared, but didn’t make a move toward Adam.

“I’m not going to fight you.”

“Why not? It’s what you do, isn’t it? You can’t deal with anything unless you have something to hit. You have no problem fighting Declan.”

Ronan scowled. “Declan deserves it. Besides, he knows how to box. You’ve only ever learned how to take a hit.”

Adam launched himself at Ronan. He didn’t know what tacking the taller boy was supposed to accomplish, but he wasn’t thinking about that. Ronan caught him, but Adam’s momentum threw off his balance and they were both knocked to the floor with a loud thump. Adam’s elbow landed in Ronan’s stomach, making him grunt in pain. Adam tried to land a punch, but Ronan blocked it easily.

“You hit like a girl,” he said, shoving Adam off him.

Adam rolled onto the floor and lay there, panting, the exhaustion washing over him again. Neither one of them tried to get back up.

“Are you going to sleep here tonight?”

“I- is it… are you sure?”

Adam shrugged. “Same as always. If I kicked you out every time we argued, you’d be permanently banned from here.”

Ronan huffed a laugh. “Ok, Parrish. I’ll stay.”


	2. This isn’t Monmouth

 Adam found himself at Monmouth more frequently that winter. Ronan was there, and Adam wanted to be around Ronan. Gansey was also there, and... well, none of them wanted to be away from Gansey for too long these days.

Gansey and Henry had gone to 300 Fox Way. When Adam had stood to follow, Ronan had reached up from where he was sprawled on the couch and dragged Adam down on top of him. Chainsaw squawked with indignation and moved to perch on the back of the cushions. Adam made a fuss about pushy boyfriends with boney knees, but he didn’t really mind. 

When the sound of the Pig faded down the road, Ronan tightened his hold on Adam.

“I’m going to stay next semester. Just until graduation,” he said.

“Stay where? At Aglionby?”

Ronan glared. “Of course not. Here, at Monmouth. Noah’s gone and Gansey-” Gansey had almost been gone, too. Neither of them said it, but Ronan didn’t need to explain why he didn’t want to leave just yet. “I’ll move back to the Barns when the Three Stooges go off adventuring.”

Adam _hmm_ -ed and ran his fingers along Ronan’s leather bands. “Opal will like that. She’s happiest outdoors.”

“What about you? When do you leave for college?”

“Don’t know yet,” Adam said. “Most colleges start mid-August though. I’ll stay in Henrietta and work over the summer. I should be able to save enough to pay for housing first semester, even after paying the St. Agnes rent and utilities.”

Ronan didn’t say anything for a long moment. “What if,” he began, “you didn’t have to pay for rent?”

“Of course I have to pay for rent. I’m living there. No point in wondering ‘what if’.” 

“You could move out,” Ronan suggested.

Adam untangled himself and sat up, facing Ronan. “And go where? Here? You know I wouldn’t move into Monmouth. Even if Gansey won’t be here.”

“Not here. I wouldn’t ask that. I mean the Barns, with me and Opal.”

Adam frowned. Why would Roan offer this? “If you’re tired of paying for part of the rent,” he said slowly, “I can manage it.” He didn’t know how he would, but he always found a way. It would be easier once school ended.

“Fucking hell, Parrish, it isn’t about the money. I’d pay the whole damn bill if you’d let me.” Ronan was sitting up now, too. His shoulders tensed.

“I don’t need your money.” Adam was sure he sounded more petulant than he meant to.

“I know. That’s why I didn’t offer. Look, do you want to move out to the Barns or not?”

“No,” Adam said.

“Why?” Ronan fired back.

“The Barns is your home. Yours and your family’s. I have my own home.”

“You call that piece of shit attic a home?”

Adam bristled. He didn’t need to be reminded that everything he owned was a piece of shit. It was his. He’d earned it, worked for it. That’s all that mattered. He’d have nice things some day, but not from the charity of others. Ronan knew all this, so Adam didn’t understand why he was acting this way.

“Yes, I do. We didn’t all grow up in dream worlds, Ronan. For you, home is where the people you love lived. For me, home is just where I go at the end of a long day.”

Ronan looked angry at this. “And why can’t that be the Barns? Are you so determined to do everything on your own that you’d rather be miserable and alone all summer than consider the possibility that you don’t have to live like that?”

“I’m not going to be moping around in bed all day; I’ve got three jobs to work!”

“And then you’ll go back to that shitty apartment you’re blowing your savings on, crash for a few hours, and start all over. I can’t leave Opal alone all night- I won’t be able to come over as often. We won’t see each other all summer,” Ronan complained.

“Good,” Adam said, “Right now, I don’t think I want to see you all summer.”

Ronan tensed, his distress plain as he waited to see what Adam would do next. Adam immediately regretted his words. They sounded too close to words that ended good things.

“ _Kerah!_ ”

Before either of them had the chance to say something else, Opal’s frightened cry came from Noah’s old room. Adam could visibly see the shift in Ronan as he leapt up to comfort the child, Chainsaw flying over and landing on his shoulder.

Opal still suffered from nightmares. They all did, but it seemed particularly cruel that this innocent little girl had to deal with horrors that no one should have to experience. Ronan was always there when she called out for him.

Adam glanced at the door the three of them had gone through. If he left now, he could avoid the rest of that argument. It had already gone too far, and Adam didn’t know how to backtrack.

Around the couch, across the warehouse, out the door. Adam was backing out of his parking spot just as the Camaro pulled in. He waved, but didn’t stop to talk. The others would figure out soon enough that Adam and Ronan had fought again. It wouldn’t come as a surprise.

* * *

 

Ronan swore colorfully at the latch on the barn door that just wouldn’t stay fixed. He kicked the door and added a few more choice words for good measure.

It wasn’t the latch that was bothering him. He couldn’t remember a time when it _did_ work, even back when Niall was there. 

It had been three days since he’d last seen Adam, and he still wasn’t sure whether or not they’d broken up. He hadn’t thought so, but then Adam had left without a word and hasn’t talked to Ronan since.

It was driving him crazy. He’d even gone to Adam’s place last night, but Adam must have picked up a night shift because he never showed up. Ronan was almost ready to return to Aglionby for a day, just because he knew Adam couldn’t avoid him there.

 “ _Kerah!_ ”

Ronan looked up as Chainsaw flew toward him. He held his arm up for her to land, and then held still until she was perched on his shoulder. She called a warning that he’d learned meant someone was coming. The problem of course was that he didn’t know weather or not that person was a friend.

He didn’t hear anything yet which probably meant whoever was coming was still down the road.

Ronan looked around for Opal. She was playing somewhere out of sight. He whistled two sharp notes, asking where she was. An echoing whistle came from the tree line behind the house. Another whistle from Ronan told her, “stay”.

“Go to Opal,” he ordered Chainsaw, “Make sure she stays there.” The raven pecked at him, but flew off. By the time Ronan made his way to the driveway, Adam’s Hondayota was parked there. Ronan ignored the jolt of relief he felt.

Adam climbed out of the car, but didn’t come closer. “Ronan.”

“Parrish.”

“Adam!” Opal shrieked with delight, charging across the lawn to tackle the boy. Ronan scowled at Chainsaw, who landed on the hood of the car. Dumb bird.

“Hi, Opal.” He patted her hair. His movements were stiff, unsure how he was supposed to interact with her, but his expression was soft with obvious affection.

“Go inside, Opal,” Ronan told her. The dream-girl looked to Adam, as if hoping he’d say she could stay. Ronan’s scowl deepened. “Go on. I won’t say it again.”

“It’s ok. Ronan and I will go inside in a few minutes,” Adam said, extracting himself from her hold.

Ronan watched Opal until she was past the front door. A moment later, her blond head inched over the windowsill, clearly eavesdropping. He sighed and turned back to the other boy.

“Adam?” Adam didn’t say anything for a moment. He just stared at Ronan, watching. It unnerved him. “You got something to say, Parrish, or are you just gonna stare?”

“You’re not Gansey,” was all Adam said.

Ronan snorted. “No shit.”

“You’re not Gansey,” Adam repeated, “and this isn’t Monmouth.”

Ronan crossed his arms and waited. Adam would make his point eventually.

“It was never about the money, was it? Gansey wanted me at Monmouth so he could make sure I was safe and provided for. But you’re not Gansey, and this isn’t Monmouth.”

Ronan waited, but Adam didn’t say anything else. “It wasn’t about the fucking money.”

“Then why _did_ you ask me to move out to the Barns?” Adam stepped closer, making sure he had Ronan’s full attention.

“Because your apartment is shit,” Ronan said.

“True. But that’s not the reason.”

“Because Opal misses you,” Ronan said with a dismissive shrug.

“Lynch.”

“Because I wanted to, ok?” Ronan snapped, “I fucking hate driving you back to that shitty apartment because I like it better when you’re here.”

“Why?” Adam always had to have a complete answer.

“Because I like you, dumbass. You going to make me explain that, too?” Ronan turned his face, scowling at the trees like they were the ones demanding answers.

Adam looked at the house, then at his car. “I’d still have to get to work every day.”

“What?” Ronan’s attention snapped back to Adam.

“If I moved in,” Adam explained patiently, “I’d still have to get to the garage, and the warehouse, and the shop.”

“I know,” Ronan said. He’d never expected Adam to willingly give up his jobs.

“It’s a long drive from here.”

“I like driving.”

“You’d take me back to town every day?”

“Sure. Leave the shitbox there so you can drive between jobs. I’ll pick you up whenever you’re done for the day.”

“I’ll be working a lot of night shifts,” Adam warned.

“I’ll be awake.”

Adam was quiet for some time, studying Ronan as he considered the arrangement. “You really think this could work?”

“Yes,” Ronan said. And Ronan Lynch never lied.


	3. What's Mine is Yours

Ronan walked into the kitchen holding a stack of envelopes and fliers just as Adam was finishing lunch.

“Mail’s here,” Ronan said, throwing himself into a chair.

“I can see that,” Adam said, “Don’t put it down on the table until I’ve washed it off. Opal spilled apple juice.”

Ronan nodded and started sorting through the envelopes and catalogues. It was mostly junk, but Blue liked sending post cards of their Great American Adventure. Adam put his dishes in the sink and got a rag to clean up the sticky juice residue.

“What’s that?” Adam nodded to the stack of papers Ronan was reading.

“It’s a loan approval.”

Adam stopped moving. “Oh… what’s it say?”

“You’ve been approved for a $20,000 loan at 7.2% interest rate.” Ronan scowled in confusion.

“7.2%. That’s good,” Adam said weakly. It was higher than he had been hoping for, but with no credit and no co-signer he was lucky he even got approved.

“Good? What the fuck, Adam? What is this?”

“It’s a loan.”

“I can see that,” Ronan mimicked Adam’s previous words. “I thought you said they gave you a scholarship?”

A prickling sensation trailed down Adam’s spine and he felt nauseated.

 _Different place,_ he reminded himself, _different man._

“The scholarship covers tuition,” Adam said, “but I need the loan to pay for room and board, a meal plan, books, and all the other expenses.”

“You don’t need a loan. We have money; a loan just puts you in debt.”

Adam felt his temper growing short. “You have the money, Ronan. I don’t” Adam turned away and walked to the sink, pretending he didn’t see the hurt on Ronan’s face.

“I thought we talked about this. What’s mine is yours.”

Adam turned on the faucet and began filling the sink with soapy water. They had a dishwasher, but he needed something to do with his hands. “Letting you pay for our groceries or borrowing your car isn’t the same thing as asking you to pay for me to go to college.”

Ronan moved closer to lean against the counter next Adam. “You’re not asking. When I said ‘what’s mine is yours’, that included the money.”

Adam shook his head and set the first clean dish aside to dry. “It’s too much money, Ronan. It’s not fair to you and it’s not how I want to do this.”

“You want to-” Ronan broke off and grabbed the sponge from Adam. “Would you stop doing the dishes and talk to me?”

Adam grabbed the sponge back. “They need to be washed. Get a dishcloth and you can start drying.”

Ronan huffed in annoyance but did it anyway. “You don’t have to do this on your own.”

Adam shook his head. “No, I don’t. But I don’t want handouts, and I don’t want to take someone else’s money.” He handed a plate to Ronan, who dried it and put it away before replying.

“You think those Aglionby boys aren’t getting help from their trust funds and daddy’s bank account? If you really want to be like them, take the damn money and do some good with it. At least you’ll be doing more than partying ‘till you flunk out.”

“I don’t want to be like them,” Adam said. “Not anymore. But that doesn’t change the fact that I want to do this my way. I’m taking the loan.” He handed Ronan a glass.

“Damnit, Adam! What’s the fucking difference between taking money from me or from a bank?!” Ronan slammed the glass down on the counter. It broke into several sharp pieces that scattered across the floor. “Fuck!”

Ronan held up his palm, which had been cut by one of the shards.

“Shit, Ronan, are you ok?” Adam leaned closer.

“Watch where you step, dumbass!”

Adam carefully stepped around the debris. “How bad is it?”

Ronan looked closer at the wound. “There’s no glass in it. I won’t need stitches.”

Adam got out the first-aid kit and dragged Ronan over to the table to take a look for himself. Ronan let Adam take charge, watching as his capable hands cleaned and bandaged the cut.

“There. Let that heal, now. Don’t tough it out and make it bleed again every time there’s yard work to do. And don’t get it infected.”

“Yes, dear,” Ronan said.

Adam ignored the sarcasm and went to get a broom. Ronan cleaned the glass from the counter.

“How about a compromise?” Ronan suggested carefully. “I’ll loan you the money, you’ll pay it back after you graduate, interest free.”

Adam’s first reaction was to refuse help again, but he held his tongue. Couples were supposed to compromise after a fight, right? And it was a good compromise. He didn’t like the idea of being in debt to Ronan, but at least Ronan would accept equal repayment. This wasn’t a Gansey family debt of favors; this was a clean-cut financial transaction.

“Alright. But I want it official. Repayment dates, a monthly payment plan, terms and conditions. All in writing.”

Ronan nodded. “We can do that. I think Declan still has the phone number for the lawyer who handled Dad’s will.”

“Good,” Adam nodded. “That’ll work.”

“But I’m not calling. You want it official, you set it up.”

Adam smiled. Ronan still refused to use the phone except in the most dire of circumstances. “Thank you, Ronan.”

“Whatever,” Ronan said, but he leaned in to kiss Adam.


	4. Dream Thing

Adam leaned around the edge of the BMW’s passenger seat so that he could see Opal asleep in the back. She and Ronan had driven to the airport to pick up Adam from a late flight.

“She’s going to be tired tomorrow,” Adam said quietly, trying not to wake the girl.

Ronan nodded. “I figured I’d let her sleep in a bit, get to her classes later. She refused to go to bed before you got home.”

Adam smiled fondly. “How’s she doing? Is she still mixing Latin and Tree-Light into her English?”

Ronan shook his head. “She’s smart. I’m teaching her how to read and write Latin, and Artemus is teaching her and Blue his language. But Opal’s been good about keeping her schoolwork in English.”

“Good. How’re her grades?”

“Top marks,” Ronan said proudly, “when I can get her to focus. She’d rather be outside than at a desk. Can’t say I blame her, but we’ve worked out a system. When she does well on her lessons, I take her to Nino’s at the end of the week.”

Adam smiled. Like father, like daughter. It was one of the things that Adam loved about Ronan and Opal. Loved. Incredible. Adam Parrish had done many incredible, impossible things, but this was the greatest of them. Adam Parrish loved.

“How has she been getting along with the other kids? Better than you did, I hope.”

Ronan gave him a strange look. “What other kids?”

“Her classmates.”

“Teaching one kid is hard enough, I’m not turning the Barns into a fucking schoolhouse.”

“What? The Barns? I said at school. You know, Henrietta Elementary?”

“You think I send her to public school? No way. I’m homeschooling her. Where did you get the idea I was sending her to public school?”

“But you told me she-” Adam was reeling with this new information. They’d talked about Opal’s education so often that surely Ronan had mentioned at some point that she went to school. Had he just assumed that they were talking about the same thing? And how was Ronan, of all people, taking on the role of teacher?

“ _Ronan!_ ”

“Shush, you’ll wake her up!” Ronan whisper-scolded.

“You can’t homeschool her! She needs to be in a real school!” Adam whispered back.

“No fucking way. I’m not sending Opal to a public school.” Ronan shifted down a gear as they left the highway. Adam would have been surprised at the lower speed if he didn’t already know that Ronan drove with perfect caution when Opal was in the car.

“You need to. There isn’t a private school for girls around here. And you’re not qualified to teach her.”

“Fuck you, Adam. Just because I wasn’t a nerd doesn’t mean I can’t do basic reading, writing, arithmetic.”

“No- I mean- the state! You need a license from the Department of Education to homeschool a child. Especially one that’s not yours.”

Ronan turned his head sharply to look at Adam before turning back to the road ahead. “The fuck you mean she’s not mine?”

“Not biologically or legally. She has no birth certificate on file, no hospital record, no adoption papers.”

“Then how do you suggest I get a license to teach a kid who doesn’t exist on paper?”

“We need to do something, Ronan. If someone notices you walking around town with a kid they’ve never seen in school, they could have Child Protective Services on you in seconds. It won’t look good if they find you’re keeping a little girl with no record hidden away on a farm in the mountains.”

“What exactly are you accusing me of, Parrish?” Ronan’s voice was cold. Adam shivered, subconsciously reacting to the warning growl in Ronan’s tone.

“I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m saying you need to be more careful. Where are we going?” Ronan had turned down a dirt road.

“Shortcut.”

“Ronan,” Adam said.

“It is. This road follows the ridge to the Barns instead of going down the valley into town and back up.”

“Fine,” he waved off the issue. “We need to get Opal enrolled in public school.”

“No way, Adam. I’m not doing that to her.”

“Why not? She’ll be taught by people who actually like school, she’ll get to explore new subjects, she’ll be around other kids her age.”

“Exactly! Kids are assholes. They pick on anyone who’s even a little different, and to the Henrietta kids, Opal might was well be from outer space. She’d have a target on her back the moment she stepped foot in a classroom.”

“She won’t be a child forever, Ronan. Eventually she’s going to want to see the rest of the world, and when she does, she’d be better off if she at least has been around other people. Psychics and magicians don’t count,” Adam added.

“Oh, _excuse me_ , I forgot. You’re the expert on raising a normal, well-adjusted child now that you’ve got that fancy lawyer internship.”

“Working with people whose job it is to prove it to the courts when someone is unfit to raise a child,” Adam reminded him.

“ _Unfit_ \- I can take care of Opal better than anyone else can!” Ronan seethed.

“I know that. But Child Protective Services won’t see that. They’ll just see a twenty-two-year-old high school dropout with anger management issues keeping a child away from school. They’ll have no problem convincing a judge to take her away.”

“She’s my responsibility and it’s no one’s business if I decide to teach her what she needs to know.”

“First of all, I’d hate to see what you consider ‘need to know’-”

“Fuck you, Parrish.”

“And second of all,” Adam continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted, “She needs to be prepared to face the world on her own when she grows up,”

“Prepared for what exactly? For people being afraid of her? For them to be cruel because she’s not like them? For her to have to hide who she is? That’s going to happen anyway, and when it does, it’s never going to stop.” Ronan jerked the wheel, hauling the car around a sharp turn. “If I can let her live without that misery for a few more years, then I’ll take that deal.”

“No one has to know,” Adam tried. “Schools now make arrangements all the time for kids with special needs.”

“ _Special needs_?” Ronan said, incredulous, “She’s not handicapped, she has _hooves_ , Adam. She speaks Tree-Light gibberish and Latin. I’d love to see you try to explain that to the teachers.”

“We’ll say she was born with-”

“ _She wasn’t born_! She was dreamt!”

“I’d love to see you try to explain that to the teachers,” Adam mocked.

“Fuck you.”

“We’ll figure something out. But she needs to be around other kids. Every child needs human interaction.”

Ronan shouted, “She’s not _human_ , Adam! She’s a dream thing!”

The car was silent except for the roar of the engine. Ronan glanced over at Adam. He was glaring out the windshield, clenching his jaw. Ronan was surprised to see a look of fury and hatred that hadn’t been on Adam’s face since the days of Robert Parrish.

“What?” Ronan demanded.

“Don’t you ever,” Adam said, slow and dark and threatening like a storm cloud, “call our daughter a _thing_.” 

Ronan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “You know that’s not what-”

“DON’T TEST ME, LYNCH.” Adam got up in Ronan’s face, jabbing a finger at Ronan’s chest. “I will pack our bags, put her in the car, and drive off. You will not see either of us again for as long as you live. I swear it.”

Ronan felt cold. “Adam-”

“No. Shut up. You don’t get to say anything to me right now. I’m going put Opal to bed, and then I’m going to our room. Don’t follow.”

* * *

 

 

“I told you to not to come in here,” Adam said when Ronan crept into the room. He could just make out Adam’s silhouette on the bed in the dark room.

“I need a pillow,” Ronan said to buy him a moment. A pillow smacked into his face with remarkable accuracy. He caught it before it dropped to the ground, and squinted at Adam. “Thanks,” he said dryly.

“You’re welcome. Now go away.”

Ronan hesitated long enough that Adam snapped at him again.

“Adam…”

“What now?”

“Just… thank you.”

“For what?” Adam sounded surprised.

“For being the kind of person who would help her if you thought I wasn’t treating her right.”

Adam didn’t respond right away, but he didn’t tell Ronan to leave, either, so Roman waited.

“I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t done the same for me back then.”

“Sure you would. You’d just have taken longer before you could follow through on your threat.”

“Maybe. Come on. Close the door and get in bed. We both need sleep.”

Ronan crawled into bed, lying next to Adam. Adam curled into Ronan’s side. Ronan turned so he could wrap an arm around his boyfriend.

 

 


	5. Names

Adam and Ronan sat at one of the cloth-covered tables that decorated the lawn. Dream-lights glittered in the dusk and illuminated the guests who were congregating around Gansey, in his best tux, and Blue, in a fluffy pile of white tulle, silk, lace, velvet, and probably a hundred other fabrics.

Adam watched the newlyweds with a smile, but Ronan was watching Adam.

“You think she’ll let him name their first son Richard Campbell Gansey IV?” Adam asked. Blue had refused to change her surname on the grounds that the tradition was sexist. Besides, it would have been weird calling her “Gansey”.

Ronan snorted. “No fucking way. Besides, she’s going to have all girls. She’ll have her own swarm of little feminists running around in papier-mâché onesies.” Adam laughed.

Ronan thought about the names. Gansey was the only son in his family, but Blue had been an only child. Adam was an only child, too. Would he want to keep his own last name?

* * *

A week later, he still wasn’t sure.

Ronan hadn’t exactly been planning on proposing, but the question about names kept rattling around his thoughts. Opal went by Lynch in public. Together, they were Ronan Lynch, Opal Lynch, and Adam Parrish.

Ronan was kind of attached to his family name, and he wasn’t fond of the man who gave Adam his. But Ronan had two brothers to pass on “Lynch”, and Adam might see it as giving up a part of himself to belong to someone else. Maybe “Parrish” meant something to Adam. Or maybe Ronan was thinking about this too much.

Still, if he wanted it, Ronan would gladly take Adam’s name. Ronan nodded to himself, considering the matter closed.

Unless… maybe they both would keep their own names. The tradition wasn’t meant for two men anyways; there was no need to follow rules that wouldn’t even recognize their marriage. Or maybe they’d hyphenate, like some people were doing now. Parrish-Lynch. Lynch-Parrish. Something like that.

 _Fuck no, those sound like awful names. Not hyphenated then,_ he decided.

Ronan ran his thumb over the back of Adam’s hand, and across his ring finger. Adam, leaning against Ronan’s chest, didn’t look up from the book he was reading.

“What would we do?” Ronan asked.

“’Bout what?” Adam said, still preocupied.

“About names. If we ever got married.” Ronan briefly worried that bringing up marriage hadn’t been his smartest idea.

“Probably keep Adam and Ronan,” Adam drawled, “that’s how it usually works.”

Ronan rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Adam still didn’t look up from his book. “I’d take your name.”

Ronan’s breath caught somewhere in his throat. Adam sounded so sure. He didn’t stop to think about it. He said it like saying grass was green or life was hard- like it was just a simple fact.

Adam finally looked up, noticing Ronan’s internal freak-out. “What?”

“Just like that? You don’t want to keep Parrish?”

Adam frowned. “Why would I want to keep Parrish? Of course I’d take your name.”

Ronan ducked his head to kiss Adam’s shoulder. “Good to know.”

“So when do you want the wedding? Can’t have it too soon after Blue and Gansey’s, but I think autumn would be nice.”

“Wait, what? I wasn’t _proposing._ ”

Adam scoffed. “Obviously. Besides _I’m_ going to be the one to ask _you_.”

“Since when? I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

“The agreement comes _after_ I propose, Ronan.”

“After _I_ propose.”

“We’ll be waiting another decade before you make a move.”

“I’m the one who made the first moves when we started dating.”

“And it took you forever to work up the nerve. No, this time it’s my turn.”

“If you’re taking my name, I’m the one who should be asking you to.”

“Ronan, we already have a preteen daughter together. Doing things in order has never been our style.”

“Exactly. We’ve fucked every tradition. Let me have this one.”

Adam thought about it. “Fine . But I get Gansey as Best Man.”

“Sure,” Ronan agreed easily. “That means I get Sargent.”

Adam laughed and twisted around to kiss Ronan. “Sounds perfect.”


End file.
